The Pen Pal Attribution
by Twinklesabri
Summary: High School AU. Amy is British. Sheldon and the rest of the gang are American. One day, pen pals were attributed. It changed their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

Miss Davis was ecstatic that day. She had in her hands a heavy craft envelope, and hurried her students to take their seats.

"Chop chop! I have a surprise for you!" she said with a smile.

"What can we possible get in a Spanish class? A ham?" Amy laughed as she asked her friend Lisa.

"Or paella!" Lisa replied with a huge smile.

"Ssh!" Miss Davis silenced them. "I have in my hands a pile of letters from a high school in New York City. Each and every one of you will get a pen pal. You'll choose randomly the letter then you will write a letter back to the person in perfect Spanish. These are due back to me next week. John, we will start with you. Come on up and pick a letter." Miss Davis instructed. A tall, dark haired boy stood up, walked to the front of the class and picked up his letter. He wasn't thrilled. Miss Davis called all the students in the class. When it was Amy's turn, she stood up, looked at Lisa and winked at her friend.

"May the force be with you." Lisa whispered. This made Amy giggle on her way to the teacher's desk.

She picked a letter from the reduced stack and went back to her seat, her long curly hair swaying in her back. Amy Farrah Fowler was not the most popular girl in the high school, very far from that actually. She was in the math, chess and science club. She got a perfect score in every subject all the time. Actually, she was supposed to skip a couple grades but her mother insisted on keeping her daughter as normal as possible. She even wanted to get her contacts instead of glasses so she would look less "nerdy". Amy really liked her copper framed glasses. They made her emerald eyes shine with intelligence and wit. She also loved her long hair, even if her mother wanted her to get a more fashionable cut. Amy's relationship with her mother was tense, even when she was little, but got even tenser after her father left them when she was five. Constance Fowler put an incredible amount of pressure on her daughter. She wanted her to be a brilliant English teacher one day, just like she was. Amy was way too afraid to tell her mother she was planning on becoming a neurobiologist. She loved all science, but she fell in love with biology when she got to dissect a pig during her sophomore year in high school. She knew her mother would disapprove of her choice. Her mother always told her that science and math were for men. Amy thought her mother was crazy to believe this since the schools were always looking for girls that were good in those subjects.

Amy looked at her friend Lisa with a worried look. She had in her hands a letter from a stranger, a boy or a girl that she would probably never meet, and whom she didn't know anything about. She didn't know why, but she felt a wave of panic all of a sudden. Her palms were moist, her mouth went dry and she could feel her heartbeat going faster and faster.

The handwriting was impeccable. The quality of the paper was way classier than the other letters written on a notepad. Everything was perfect about the letter, and she felt like everything would be perfect about the author himself. She started to read, anxious and eager to know more about her mysterious pen pal.

 _Dear stranger,_

 _My name is Sheldon Lee Cooper. I am 17 years old, and I am a senior at St. Gabriel's School in New York, more precisely, in Brooklyn. I have an IQ of 187, I do not belong in a public high school. I should have graduated with at least a master's degree by now, but my silly mother wanted me to stay "normal". I have been told by my teacher that I had to tell you more about who I was and what I liked. That's how you build friendship apparently. So I will concede to such juvenile requirements and say three things I like: Star Wars, Star Trek and Science. And three things I don't like: germs, whistlers and food stealers. If you are looking for a friendship, please do not reply to this letter. If you are planning on telling me more about yourself, please do not reply either. If you think you can explain string theory, or if you are Stephen Hawking, which you could be since I am writing to someone in England, at least that is what my teacher says, I will write you back. And finally if you have the script to upcoming Star Wars movie, I'll gladly concede to reading your letter._

 _Hope you have a wonderful day._

 _Bazinga, I don't care._

 _Sheldon Cooper, someday Dr. Sheldon Cooper, BS, MS, MA, PhD, and ScD. I know OMG right?_

Amy had to read the letter three times to let everything sink in. She was ready to fire back at him with such passion that her words would burn the paper. She was outraged by the audacity of this boy "Sheldon" but also found herself fascinated by him. He was rude, condescending and so full of himself. It was everything Amy hated in people. She was fuming, shifting in her seat uncontrollably and wiping her palms on her denim skirt.

"You okay?" asked Lisa, worried.

"Not really. My pen pal is a jerk." Amy replied, showing her letter to Lisa.

She watched silently as her friend read the letter, her face twisting from surprise to anger.

"Amy." Lisa said after a while.

"What?" Amy snapped, still fuming.

"I think you've met your match." Lisa replied, looking straight into the young brunette's emerald eyes.

Amy froze in her seat.

"Excuse me?!" she exclaimed a little bit too loud to Miss Davis' taste.

"You heard me. Look me straight in the eyes and tell me you didn't find him…fascinating." Lisa challenged her. She locked eyes with Amy for about two seconds before the brunette shied away.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Amy mumbled. Lisa could read her like a book. Lisa winked at her and nudged her on the shoulder. Amy just rubbed her shoulder as it was a bit too hard for her taste.

Later that day, as Amy was organizing her locker after lunch, Lisa jumped on her, holding a notepad and a bunch of colorful markers.

"Geez Lisa you scared me!" Amy said.

"Oops sorry!" Lisa replied.

"What are you doing with these?" Amy asked, pointing at the Sharpies in her friend's hand.

"We're going to reply to that sexy pen pal of yours." Lisa replied, smiling at Amy with a gleam in her eye.


	2. Chapter 2

Leonard was head over heels in love with the head cheerleader. It was his last year in high school and he swore to himself that he would ask her to go to prom with him. Every time he tried to approach her, he was somehow interrupted by either one of her many admirers, her nosy girlfriends or by a tall and lanky young man, with dark hair and porcelain skin who did not understand why his best friend would want to risk his life by asking out the most beautiful girl they've ever seen.

"Leonard, in what universe would the head cheerleader agree to go to prom with you?" asked Sheldon.

"In all of them, that's the point!" Leonard exclaimed.

"You can't just invent 26 dimensions just to prove I'm wrong!" retorted Sheldon.

"Really? Then what did I just do?" Leonard replied defiantly, showing Sheldon his notepad entirely scribbled with equations and theories.

Sheldon just threw his arms in the air and rolled his eyes. He does this every time his best friend says something stupid.

The pair was walking in the hallway of their high school, deeply engrossed in a discussion about string theory when a giant figure shoved them against the lockers, and ripped open Leonard's backpack, making all the contents drop on the floor.

"ZACH! Leave them alone!" shouted a feminine voice.

"Oh come on babe, I'm just having fun with these two little nerds." replied Zach, shoving them a bit closer to the lockers.

"I said leave them alone." replied the blond girl with hazel eyes, which were burning a hole in Zach's face as she spoke.

"Alright alright." Zach replied, turning around and leaving the shaking young men behind him.

The young girl kneeled down and helped Leonard pick up his books.

"I'm so sorry. Zach is such a jerk! He doesn't deserve to be quarterback of the football team." The girl said to Leonard.

"I..It's okay." mumbled Leonard, suddenly in shock, realizing who this girl was.

"Hi, I'm Penny" she said, extending her hand for him to shake.

Leonard was frozen. His mouth seemed incapable of forming words nor would his hand raise to meet hers. The head cheerleader had just helped him escape a bully and was helping him with his books. The girl he'd been dreaming about for almost a year was right in front of him, with a genuine bright smile on her beautiful face. He was about to pinch himself to see if this was all a dream.

"Leonard, I think it is social convention to shake a hand when it's extended to you." whispered Sheldon behind him, breaking him from his trance.

Leonard gulped and quickly got back to his senses, vigorously shaking Penny's hand.

"I'm Leonard." he finally managed to say.

"It is nice to meet you." She replied with a beaming smile. "Listen, I'm late for practice, but I'll see you around?" Penny asked him, as she got up, handing him his books.

"S..Sure!" replied Leonard with a huge smile.

"Great." Penny replied then she turned on her heels and headed to the gymnasium, then looked back at him with a small smile.

Silence was reigning between the pair of aspiring physicists. One of them was still all shaken up after the encounter with Zach, the other was smitten after his crush basically saved his life. They gathered their things, straightened their jackets and resumed walking.

"Our babies will be smart and beautiful." Leonard said finally. This time his voice wasn't shaking.

"Not to mention imaginary." hissed Sheldon under his breath.

"I heard that." protested Leonard.

"You were meant to hear that." Sheldon replied flatly.

They were headed to Mr. Gonzalez's Spanish class. He was an extravagant, chubby man, in his 40's. He had a collection of hats, and he wore a different one each day of the week, a commitment that Sheldon admired a lot, as he himself was committed to a specific t-shirt for each day. The pair was headed to their seats when Mr. Gonzalez stopped Sheldon, by patting his shoulder, which made him flinch as he was reluctant to any form of physical contact.

"Sheldon! I have something for you!" the teacher said cheerfully.

"Really? What is it?" Sheldon asked happily. He hated birthday parties, celebrations, or gift exchange, but when it came to school and homework, Sheldon loved surprises.

"Your pen pal replied to your letter!" exclaimed Mr. Gonzalez, holding a white envelope in his hand.

"Ugh, great." said Sheldon without much joy, grabbing the letter and already turning around to take his seat.

"Don't be so disappointed young man! It's a great experience! You'll see, you'll thank me one day for forcing you to talk to strangers." continued Mr. Gonzalez, who was not losing his joy. He was way too accustomed to Sheldon's mood swings.

Sheldon simply rolled his eyes. He had his back turned to his teacher, and calmly sat at his table in front of Leonard's. He put the letter on the table, and retrieved his books from his backpack. He then proceeded to follow the course, never once touching the envelope.

"Aren't you going to open this letter?" Leonard whispered behind him.

"Not now." Sheldon replied calmly.

"Why not? Aren't you curious?" Leonard questioned.

"Leonard, I am always curious about everything. But right now is not the time to open this letter." Sheldon explained.

"Give it to me I want to read it!" Leonard asked him cheerfully.

"Absolutely not!" Sheldon protested.

"But I want to know who your pen pal is. Is it a guy or a girl? Is she a cute little blond, a tall brunette, a linguist, a fellow scientist? There are so many questions to be answered." Leonard rambled.

"Well then it's too bad your pen pal didn't reply back to your letter." said Sheldon sharply.

He would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious about his mysterious correspondent. But as he was in class, he was not going to do anything except follow the lesson. He had principles, and he was not going to break the school's rules, or worse, his own rules, over a stranger.

The time ticked by and he still had 37 minutes before the bell rings. He was shifting in his seat, something that Leonard noticed. His palms were sweaty and his fingers itched to rip open the envelope and read its content. But he was strong, he would not let his inner urges rule his actions.

23 minutes to go. He's never been so eager to escape a classroom before. 1380 seconds and he would be out. He started counting down in his head.

9 minutes. He couldn't take it anymore. He lifted his shaking hand and brought it to the envelope. His fingers brushed the soft paper and he couldn't help but be surprised by the quality. It had a sharp and crisp texture. He brushed his fingers through the impeccable writing saying _Sheldon L. Cooper,_ fascinated by everything on that small rectangular piece of paper, including the letters _AFF_ , written in beautiful calligraphy at the bottom left of the envelope with a vibrant purple ink. But suddenly, as if he was struck by lightning, he removed his arm and hid it under his desk. Coming back to his senses, he gulped and tried to focus back on what the teacher was saying.

When the bell finally rang, he gathered his books as quickly as possible, holding his letter firmly in his hand and didn't wait for his short friend to follow. He was already in the hallway. He was heading to the men's bathroom. Leonard followed him like a lost puppy. But a giant dark haired guy was not far behind them.

"Hey Lads!" Zach shouted.

"Hide in the toilet, quick!" Sheldon hissed under his breath.

Leonard wasn't quick enough. As Sheldon locked himself in a stall, he heard the unmistakable sound of Leonard's whimpering as the bully approached him. With a sigh, Sheldon opened his door and grabbed Leonard by the collar and dragged him inside before locking both of them, before the short boy would be destroyed.

"How many times have you saved my life this week?" Leonard asked.

"Three, including the time I prevented you from eating green jell-o at the school's cafeteria." Sheldon replied.

"Oh, right. Well, thank you buddy." Leonard said with a shy smile.

"You're welcome. I'm sure you would have done the same if you had my strength, agility or wit." Sheldon simply said.

They stood inside for a few minutes listening for Zach.

"Ok, I think he's gone!" said Leonard, after about five minutes. He opened the door and got out. Sheldon stayed inside and carefully sat down on his backpack. He finally had the time to analyze his letter. He slowly ripped off the edge, and all of sudden, a subtle smell of lavender hit his senses. He breathed in the delicious and feminine sent that was coming from the piece of paper in his hands. He opened the letter and proceeded to read carefully.

Dear Sheldon L. Cooper,

My name is Amy Farrah Fowler, not Stephen Hawking, (although I met him several times and I can say he's a bit of a diva). I am 17 years old as well, and about to graduate from St Barnaby's High School in London.

Since your IQ points matter so much to you, I should let you know that mine is 189. I should be in college too by now, but I guess my "silly" mother did not approve of my intelligence either.

I also like Science fiction, but unfortunately I don't have any info on the upcoming Star Wars movie. Disney just acquired the rights, so be patient.

I would like to become a neurobiologist, so I can squeeze hot needles into people's brains, especially the most arrogant ones.

Oh, and I am surprised you needed to ask, but String Theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. Easy peasy.

Hasta la próxima, Mr. Cooper.

AFF.

Sheldon's jaw dropped as soon as he read the first line. Her IQ was two points higher than his?! How was that even possible? And she's a girl! He was outraged. He quickly unlocked the door and came out of the toilets to find Leonard waiting for him.

"So? A boy or a girl? Is she cute? Does she like science?" Leonard was ecstatic, even if Amy was not his pen pal.

"A girl. I don't care if she is "cute" or not. And yes, I believe she likes science, if neurobiology could be considered a real science." Sheldon snorted.

"Oh nice! I hope she'll send you a picture soon. I heard British girls are beau-ti-ful." Leonard said with glee.

"I. DON'T CARE!" Sheldon exclaimed suddenly, putting emphasis on each word. He was fuming.

"What's wrong buddy?" Leonard asked his friend, concerned.

Sheldon took a deep breath to calm himself.

"This hotsy-totsy from London has just become my new nemesis." Sheldon replied flatly.

 **Thanks for everyone reading and reviewing, I hope you like it so far! Can't wait to be on spring break so I can write more. Let me know what you think of Amy's letter! xx Sabrina**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello! I'm so sorry for the delay. I was dealing with college stuff and now that I know I passed my semesters, I can relax and write more. Thanks for your patience!**

The sun was peeking through the curtains as Amy slowly opened her eyes. She rolled around to cover her eyes from the sunlight. After a few more minutes debating whether or not she should stay in bed all day, she got up, put on her glasses and headed downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning mother." Amy greeted her mom.

"Have you seen the time? Since when you do wake up this late?" Mrs Fowler scolded her.

"It's 9 a.m and today is Sunday. It is fine." Amy replied with a sigh.

She poured herself a bowl of muesli with some almond milk and sat on a stool at the kitchen counter. For some reason, she never was able to digest cow milk. She was too focused on her food so she didn't notice it at first, but when she reached to grab a napkin, she spotted it. It was well-hidden under the pile of newspapers. It was there, the precious envelope she has been waiting for. It had been hidden from her. In her hurry to grab it, she spilled her cereal on the counter. She really didn't care. She ripped open the envelope and tears started filling her eyes.

"MOTHER! How could you?" Amy had had enough. She couldn't believe her mother would be evil enough to hide this from her.

"Don't take that tone with me. What did I do?" Mrs. Fowler reprimanded her daughter. She had not noticed that Amy had found the letter.

"This!" Amy replied, holding the envelope in her hand.

She watched as her mother's jaw dropped.

"You were not supposed to find that. I refuse to allow you to open it. " Mrs. Fowler said calmly.

"It has my name on it!" She screamed, unable to control her anger. "Look! Of course I am going to open it. Amelia Farrah Fowler." She pointed at the envelope. "It does not say Amelia's controlling and vicious mother!" Amy's rage was radiating from her. She managed to be threatening even if she was dressed in only a nightgown and slippers. "I can't believe you kept this away from me! When did this come?" She asked.

"Last Monday." Mrs. Fowler replied, almost in a whisper.

"WHAT? And you watched me worry all week without thinking of giving me my letter from Caltech?" Amy ripped the envelope open, hoping the news was good.

"Well… what does it say?" Mrs. Fowler asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"It says that I finally have a chance to get away from you." Amy replied with a lump in her throat.

She rushed upstairs and slammed her bedroom door. She started sobbing uncontrollably, sliding down the door until she was able to put her head between her knees. She couldn't believe that her mother would keep her away from her future like that. She was so eager to trap her in her own boring routine that she wanted to stop her from becoming the brilliant Neurobiologist she wanted to be. When she applied for both Caltech and MIT, she knew only her impressive grades and her intelligence could get her the full scholarship she was aiming for. She also knew that her mother could never afford to pay for her future, especially not at such universities, so she worked hard. Day and night she worked to get the most impressive grades her school has ever seen. And it worked. With a little help from her headmaster and her teacher's recommendation letters, she got accepted in both universities.

Quickly wiping away her tears in her sleeve, she got up and went to her desk. She turned on her laptop and checked her emails. Her heart jumped a little bit in her chest when she saw that she had gotten an email during the night.

 _Dear Amy,_

 _It has come to my attention that you haven't replied to my last email. I hope you are doing well, but I believe it is socially inappropriate to not answer one's email, especially if it is a pen pal and the whole purpose of the relationship is communication._

 _To give you an update on my life, I applied to many colleges during this senior year and I should be receiving answers by the end of the week. I am not worried at all about the answers, given my intelligence. My Meemaw says I am a gifted little boy. Have you applied to any universities in America?_

 _The school year is nearly over and I already apprehend the summer. My original plan was to stay indoors, avoiding the sun light at all costs so as not to harm my porcelain skin, reading comic books and playing video games but unfortunately my mother decided that I should be spending more time with my twin sister, before I go away (which she will not be doing as she failed this year, again.)_

 _Anyway, I would appreciate it if you could reply to this email, and send another one so we can be even in the number of email exchange._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Sheldon Lee Cooper._

Amy had a goofy smile on her face. After a few letters they exchanged their email addresses because Sheldon found the mailing process unbearably long. But Lisa tried to convince her that he was just falling for Amy and wanted to talk on a daily basis. Maybe she was just clueless, but Amy did understand, and shared his aversion for epistolary communication. They were not living in the nineteenth century after all.

She made a mental note to reply later on that day since it was still night time for him. Getting up from her desk, she gathered her toiletries and headed to the bathroom. After a quick shower she dressed in a flower shirt and a warm sleeveless sweater, a beige skirt and some comfortable orthopedic shoes. She straightened her hair and put on a cherry chapstick she got at the mall with Lisa a couple days ago. She didn't care if she had to sit in the sin closet. She would wear it with pride.

She and Lisa, her best friend, had a Sunday routine. They would get coffee early in the morning and then walk to their favorite place, Hyde Park. They were fascinated by the Great Exhibit of 1851 that took place in the Crystal Palace, so they very often sipped on coffee and shared a pastry, as if they were surrounded by their favorite author Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria, whose fashion sense pleased Amy. She left the house without a word to her mother. She knew where Amy went every week. There was no need to tell her or say goodbye. She was too mad.

After getting their coffee, Lisa turned to Amy. She was chomping at the bit to get answers.

"So, any news from that hot American pen pal?" Lisa asked, eager for juicy details of their torrid relationship, at least that is what she thought.

"Nothing new really, except that he noticed a suspicious mole on his back and asked me if I had any dermatologic advice for him." Amy answered.

"Have you ever thought about Skyping with him?" Lisa asked.

"So I can check his mole?" Amy said, clueless. She had a look of distain on her face.

"No silly!" Lisa giggled. "So you can see him, you know face to face and hear his voice. You know, maybe hold a real conversation."

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that." Amy said, lowering her head.

"Why? What are you afraid of?" Lisa asked her. She didn't understand why her friend would be afraid of Skyping with someone she's been communicating with for nearly two months.

"I don't know… I just don't want him to be disappointed." Amy replied shyly.

"Are you kidding me? Come on Ames, you are never insecure about anything. You are hot, and you know it! You look like a sexy librarian. He will swoon as soon as he sees you. Trust me." Lisa said, nudging her friend playfully.

"Yeah, you're right." Amy replied. Both girls broke out in loud laughter.

When she returned later in the day, she ignored her mother. She went straight to her room and said nothing to her. She was still angry about the letter. She grabbed her laptop and decided she should write a reply to Sheldon.

 _Dear Sheldon,_

 _I would like to apologize for the delay, I have had a lot of things to deal with these past weeks. Exams, homework, applications, and especially my controlling and irritating mother._

 _I did in fact apply for to American universities, and thus far I got accepted into Caltech and I am still waiting for MIT's letter. My mother, of course, wants me to major in English literature in Cambridge. This will only happen in her dreams._

 _This morning I had coffee at Hyde Park with my best friend Lisa. She is my rock, my only substantial friend. Like you with Leonard. Well anyway, Hyde Park is our favorite place. We go all the time. I too apprehend the summer, not for the heat (which is rare in Britain), but because it means I will be spending more time with my mother. Avoiding the sin closet will be my main activity._

 _Best regards,_

 _AFF._

She did not forget about the second email she had to send, so she chose a picture of the Crystal Palace she took this morning and attached it to a simple email saying _This is not a picture of a funny cat, I promise._

Being Sheldon's pen pal was fun, so much fun that she had heart palpitations every time she had an email notification from him. She wondered if all pen pals felt the same way. She was always excited and eager to read what he had to say. She couldn't believe she felt a wave of affection every time she saw his name as the sender. She had to believe this was a normal thing. She hoped she wasn't losing her mind. One thing she knew for sure, she would never tell her mother about this boy. She had no idea how her mother would react but she knew she wasn't going to spend one minute in the sin closet because she was talking to a boy. Her mother would never find out about him.


End file.
